Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 25-02-2021

Useful compilation of Civil Services oriented - Daily Current Affairs - Civil Services - 25-02-2021

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• SECTION 1 - TEN NEWS HEADLINES

1. World Politics - Media Platform Bill in Australia - Australia has reached out to India among several countries, including Canada, France and the UK, in a move to stitch a global coalition against tech giants Google and Facebook amid a faceoff over compensation for sharing news content from media companies on their platforms. Australia’s proposed law, News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code Bill 2020, mandates a bargaining code that aims to force Google and Facebook to compensate media companies for using their content. The Bill is expected to set a precedent in regulating social media across geographies. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), in its 2019 report, Digital Platforms Inquiry, noted that there was a fundamental imbalance in the power between news media and internet platforms. Specifically mentioning Google and Facebook, the report said these platforms had “substantial bargaining power in relation to many news media businesses.” It highlighted that media regulation hardly applied to platforms, though they have been increasingly playing much the same role as the media. The last two decades have also seen the tremendous rise of the platforms and sharp decline of the traditional news media.
2. Governance and Institutions - Govt. allows private banks to conduct govt's banking transactions - The government of India has announced it has lifted the embargo on private sector banks for the conduct of government-related banking transactions. These =include taxes and other revenue payment facilities, pension payments and small savings schemes among others. "Private banks can now be equal partners in development of the Indian economy," Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said. The stock markets reacted jubilantly, at this opening up of economy for more private sector. This was also seen by many as the eventual exit of government from public sector banking, and the selling away of some PSBs. The PM has started aggressively pushing the idea of privatisation of public sector assets already.
3. World Politics - South Korea's population declines - South Korea has recorded a decline in its population in 2020, the first time this has happened since 1970, according to official data. In 2020, South Korea reported over 2.72 lakh births as compared to over 3.05 lakh deaths. South Korea's fertility rate, the number of expected babies per South Korean woman, was the lowest in the world at 0.84. Total Fertility Rate is the no. of expected children born to each woman in reproductive age, and if that goes below 2.1, then the population starts shrinking. At 2.1, population stabilises. And at more than 2.1, population grows. The world population is projected to reach 9.9 billion by 2050, an increase of more than 25% from the current 2020 population of 7.8 billion. Total fertility rates are below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman in 91 countries and territories, mostly in Asia and Europe, as well as in the United States.
4. Governance and Institutions - Cryptocurrencies may impact India's financial stability - The RBI has expressed concern over the use of cryptocurrencies, saying it may impact the financial stability of the economy. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das said that RBI has conveyed "major concerns" regarding cryptocurrencies to the government. The RBI had banned banks and other regulated entities from supporting crypto transactions in 2018, however, the Supreme Court overturned it in 2020. It is now getting clear that sovereigns are not too pleased with crypto assets bypassing the mainstream banking system, and are striking back hard. Experts say that an outright block on cryptocurrencies will not be in India's interest, as the rapidly emerging field has many new opportunities for innovation that India will miss out on.
5. Social Issues - Vijay Sampla new Chairman of NCSC - Vijay Sampla, a former Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment from 2014-2019, on February 24, 2021 took charge as the Chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC). Union Minister Som Prakash, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Krishna Pal Gurjar, former Chairman of NCSC, BJP MP Hans Raj Hans as well as other members of the Commission were also present during the occasion. Vijay Sampla was appointed by the President of India. The NCS is a constitutional body to provide safeguards against the exploitation of Scheduled Castes (and Anglo Indian communities) and to promote and protect their social, educational, economic and cultural interests. Article 338 of the Indian constitution deals with it [which states that - 338. Special Officer for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes etc. (1) There shall be a Special Officer for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to be appointed by the President, etc.]
6. Governance and Institutions - Anti-Dumping Duty on Steel Imports from China - India's Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has initiated a probe to review the need for continuing imposition of anti-dumping duty on certain types of steel products imported from China, following complaints from domestic industry. The duty on the certain steel products was first imposed in February 2017 and is set to expire on 16th May 2021. Some of the major private domestic producers of steel have filed an application before the DGTR for a sunset review of anti-dumping duty imposed on imports of seamless tubes, pipes and hollow profiles of iron, alloy or non-alloy steel from China. The applicants have alleged that dumping of these products from China has continued even after imposition of anti-dumping duty, and there has been a significant increase in the volume of imports. DGTR would review the need for continued imposition of the duties in force and examine whether the expiry of existing duties is likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping and impact the domestic industry.
7. Indian Economy - Draft National Migrant Labour Policy - The NITI Aayog, along with a working subgroup of officials and members of civil society, has prepared a draft National Migrant Labour policy. Earlier in December 2020, the Indian government decided to create a database of migrant workers, including workers in the informal economy. Migration is the movement of people away from their usual place of residence, across either internal (within country) or international (across countries) borders.The latest government data on migration comes from the 2011 Census. As per the Census, India had 45.6 crore migrants in 2011 (38% of the population) compared to 31.5 crore migrants in 2001 (31% of the population).
8. Environment and Ecology - Olive Ridley Turtles - The Orissa High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the death of around 800 Olive Ridley sea turtles due to negligence by Odisha’s forest and fisheries departments. The Olive ridley turtles are the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world. These turtles are carnivores and get their name from their olive colored carapace. They are found in warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans. The Odisha’s Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary is known as the world’s largest rookery (colony of breeding animals) of sea turtles.
9. Energy - Go Electric Campaign - The central government has launched the “Go Electric" Campaign to spread awareness on the benefits of e-mobility and EV Charging Infrastructure as well as electric cooking in India. To push the country towards 100% e-mobility and clean and safe e-cooking. To create awareness at PAN-India level and reduce the import dependence of the country. To move ahead on the path of a low carbon economy, thereby saving the country and the planet from the adverse impact of climate change. Indian government has run the FAME I and FAME II programmes to push electric mobility. FAME stands for "Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and EVs". Phase-II of FAME Scheme started with an outlay of Rs.10,000 crore for 3 years from from 1st April 2019.
10. Healthcare and Medicine - India Covid update - As many as 16,738 new Covid-19 cases and 138 deaths were reported in India on 24-02-2021, as per Union ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW). With the new cases, the Coronavirus tally in the country has reached 1,10,46,914 including 1,51,708 active cases and 1,07,38,501 discharges.The death toll has mounted to 1,56,705 with the loss of 138 lives. Maharashtra recorded 8,807 new COVID-19 cases and 80 deaths in the last 24 hours. The state government instructed all district collectors and municipal commissioners to increase testing. Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik said that on an average, over 60,000 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in the state over the last two weeks.

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• SECTION 2 - DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

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• 1. ECONOMY (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper)

India coming out of recession

• Indicators: India’s economy looked ready to leave a sharp downturn behind in 2021, as business and consumer activity showed more signs of gathering momentum in January. Two of the eight high-frequency indicators tracked improved in January 2021, while five held steady and one deteriorated. The January reading points to a solid start for the new quarter, building on nascent gains seen in the October-December period.
• Is recession over: Official data may soon show that India exited a recession in the final three months of 2020, and the GDP may positively expand at a low number in last quarter, though for the full year, GDP will contract by at least 7.5 per cent.
• PMI: Activity in India’s dominant services sector expanded for a fourth straight month in January, with the pace of new work and business activity both quickening. The Markit India Services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) came in at 52.8 from 52.3 a month earlier. A reading above 50 indicates expansion.  Manufacturing activity also continued to strengthen, with companies ramping up production at the quickest pace in three months, thanks to higher sales and new export orders. Exports regained more ground last month, backed by healthy performance of sectors such as engineering goods, gems and jewelry, iron ore and textiles.
• Consumer Activity: Passenger vehicle sales, a key indicator of demand, rose nearly 11.4% in January from a year ago, with two-wheelers and utility vehicles witnessing robust demand. Surveys from the Reserve Bank of India this month showed that consumers perceived the current economic situation as being better than it was in November when a similar survey was conducted. Central bank data showed credit grew at around 6.5% from a year earlier.
• Indusrty: Industrial production rose 1% in December from a year earlier. Production of capital goods rose 0.6%, while infrastructure goods and manufacturing sector expanded in an encouraging end to the October-to-December quarter. Output at infrastructure industries, which makes up 40% of the industrial production index, contracted 1.3% in December from a year ago, a smaller drop than the 2.6% seen in November. Both data are published with a one-month lag.

 

Bond Yields and RBI's pain

• Benchmark: Government bond yields, which serve as market benchmarks for pricing debt securities (bonds), have been rising lately. Yield on India’s 10-year benchmark paper (G-Sec) rose to a six-month high, German Bund to an eight-month peak, and US Treasury to a near one-year top.
• Why would yields rise: In response to Covid-19, central banks had lowered interest rates and launched massive debt purchase programmes to boost borrowing and prevent bankruptcies. This drove down yields, which have an inverse relation with bond prices. The roll-out of covid vaccination has bolstered expectations of a strong recovery, fuelling bets of a spike in inflation going forward. The recent surge in yields signals that investors fear central banks will soon begin to tighten rates and remove liquidity support measures to curb a potential rise in inflation as growth takes hold.
• Economic implications: Bond yields possess signalling abilities about inflation trajectory and economic direction. A rise in yields indicates a rise in interest rates in the economy. Yields also reflect Centre’s market borrowing to fund its expenditure. Higher yields raise borrowing costs for companies, hurting their ability to service debt and make new investments. This hurts profits and stock prices, as seen in BSE Sensex's fall of about 2.3%, as rising yields soured investor sentiments. (Sensex rose later, especially in banking stocks, due to new govt. announcements)
• Higher yields in India: The RBI has pledged to keep rates benign (low) and monetary policy stance accommodative (to help govt. borrowing). But if yields refuse to calm, they may threaten the Centre’s large borrowing programme and curb demand by making goods and services costlier. Higher US Treasury yields can also prompt capital outflows from EMs like India, pressuring the rupee and fuelling inflation (as happened in 2013).
• Taper tantrum: It refers to a sudden surge in US Treasury yields in 2013 due to investor panic, after the Fed said it would reduce, or taper, the size of its bond-purchase programme to pump liquidity into the system rocked by the 2008 crisis. Foreign funds scurried out of EMs. There are concerns that if yields in US and Europe continue to harden, investors who borrowed cheaply to pile into high-yielding risk-assets can unwind their “carry-trade” and flock back to the safety of sovereign debt.
• RBI action plan: It has been buying bonds via OMOs to keep yields below 6%. It is conducting special OMOs to prevent a steepening of the yield curve, with the goal to lower long-term yields to help the Centre and firms borrow cheaply from the market. But RBI’s efforts can prove futile amid the Centre’s large borrowing aim of ?12 trillion in FY22 , even as growth recovery and high fuel prices raise inflationary pressures.

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• 2. ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper

E20 Fuel in India 

• New notification: The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways published a draft notification, seeking comments from the public for adoption of E20 Fuel. This new fuel is a blend of 20% of ethanol with gasoline, and can be used as an automotive fuel.
• E20 Fuel benefits: It will also help in reducing emissions of carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, etc., and help reduce the oil import bill, thereby saving foreign exchange and boosting energy security. The compatibility of the vehicle to the percentage of ethanol in the blend of ethanol and gasoline shall be defined by the vehicle manufacturer and the same shall be displayed on the vehicle by putting a clearly visible sticker.
• Ethanol: It is a common by-product that comes from agricultural feedstock like corn, hemp, potato, etc. It can be used as a bio-fuel in Flexi-fuel vehicles, and is greener than gasoline because the corn and crop plantations absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow. While the fuel still releases CO2 when you burn it, the net increase is comparatively lower. Ethanol is less efficient as a fuel as it has lower energy content than energy-rich gasoline and diesel. Blends over E20 (20% ethanol) are highly corrosive for older vehicles as the alcohol can break down old rubber seals and can damage engines.
• Biofuels: Any hydrocarbon fuel that is derived and produced from an organic matter, is called a biofuel. They can be solid, liquid or gaseous, and can be used to replace or can be used in addition to diesel, petrol or other fossil fuels for transport, stationary, portable and other applications.

• Generations of Biofuels: These are broadly classified into four categories based on their raw materials. They are -

1. First-generation biofuels - Made from sugar, starch, vegetable oil, or animal fats using conventional technology. Common first-generation biofuels include Bioalcohols, Biodiesel, Vegetable oil, Bioethers, Biogas.
2. Second-generation biofuels - Produced from non-food crops, such as cellulosic biofuels and waste biomass (stalks of wheat and corn, and wood). Examples include advanced biofuels like biohydrogen, bioethanol.
3. Third-generation biofuels - Produced from microorganisms like algae.
4. Fourth-generation biofuels: Made from genetically engineered crops which consume high amounts of carbon.

• Various government initiatives: These include the National Biofuel Policy 2018, the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) programme, GOBAR (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources) DHAN scheme, 2018, Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana, 2019 and the Repurpose Used Cooking Oil (RUCO).

• Knowledge centre:

1. Biodiesel - It is the most common biofuel in Europe, produced from oils or fats using transesterification and is a liquid similar in composition to fossil/mineral diesel. It consists mostly of fatty acid methyl (or ethyl) esters (FAMEs). Feedstocks for biodiesel include animal fats, vegetable oils, soy, rapeseed, jatropha, mahua, mustard, flax, sunflower, palm oil, hemp, field pennycress, Pongamia pinnata and algae. Pure biodiesel (B100, also known as "neat" biodiesel) currently reduces emissions with up to 60% compared to diesel Second generation B100.
2. Green diesel - It is produced through hydrocracking biological oil feedstocks, such as vegetable oils and animal fats. Hydrocracking is a refinery method that uses elevated temperatures and pressure in the presence of a catalyst to break down larger molecules, such as those found in vegetable oils, into shorter hydrocarbon chains used in diesel engines. It may also be called renewable diesel, or hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO fuel). Unlike biodiesel, green diesel has exactly the same chemical properties as petroleum-based diesel, and does not require new engines, pipelines or infrastructure. 

 

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• 3. FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Prelims, GS Paper 3, Essay paper)

China admits casualties in skirmish with India

1. China's martyrs: China has confirmed that three privates and one officer died as “martyrs” in the clash with Indian forces in the disputed Galwan River Valley in 2020, and it may have lost more than four troops. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) rarely admits its casualties and had not previously admitted to any losses in the clash. China still maintains that there was not a single COVID-19 case among military personnel, including those sent to Wuhan in 2020 during the initial outbreak there. (an obvious lie)
2. Pumping the legacy: Chinese state media has named the young soldiers and attributed patriotic quotations to them, such as “One should make accomplishments wherever he is needed by the party.” The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) sometimes requires soldiers to write testimonies full of approved drivel as part of indoctrination efforts.
3. De-escalation: Both India and China in Feb 2021 agreed to withdraw troops from around Pangong Lake, and China may see the new spate of nationalism as politically necessary to justify the withdrawals. Anti-Indian feeling has proliferated on the Chinese internet. India had earlier stated immediately after the clash that it lost 20 soldiers, and Indian media has now reacted with skepticism to China’s announcement. Some Chinese also questioned their govt., and were arrested!

 

China updates Feb 2021

1. Canada calls it genocide: The Canadian Parliament overwhelmingly voted in favor of declaring the atrocities in Xinjiang genocide. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau abstained from voting on the motion, which passed 266-0. China has responded with the usual vitriol. The decision follows former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s declaration of genocide, despite a split memo from the State Department. Some U.S. lawyers argue that the atrocities are crimes against humanity but not genocide. The Canada-China relationship is already fraught. In 2019, China had detained two Canadian citizens, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, on spying charges after Canada detained the CFO of Huawei, Meng Wanzhou, following a U.S. extradition request. The Canadian government has described China’s actions as “hostage diplomacy.” The new genocide bill includes a provision calling for the 2022 Winter Olympics to be moved from Beijing if the atrocities continue—a significant move given Canada’s influence in winter sports.
2. End of Hong Kong’s local democracy: With pro-democratic politicians already out of the Legislative Council and many opposition members arrested, the Hong Kong government is now looking to eliminate local representatives opposed to Beijing’s policies. The government suffered a shock defeat in 2019 when pro-democrats swept local elections, angering Beijing—something the city government appears determined not to repeat. New patriotism tests will preemptively rule out any representative who doesn’t follow the official line, and pro-Beijing figures will likely replace elected representatives in their limited role in choosing Hong Kong’s leader.
3. Xi personality cult: An entire page of a recent edition of the People’s Daily was dedicated to a hagiographic depiction of Xi’s anti-poverty work, followed by a double spread the next day—featuring no fewer than 139 mentions of the president’s name. (An accompanying English-language piece is here.) Since 2015, China has spent significant money on the target of eliminating extreme poverty—those making less than around $600 per year. It officially hit that goal last November, making anti-poverty work likely to be a key part of Xi-ism going forward.
4. U.S. rethinks supply chains: Chinese authorities have begun questioning firms about their role in the supply chain for rare-earth elements to the United States, and the Biden administration has begun a major review of U.S. manufacturing and defense vulnerabilities, including computer chips (now mostly manufactured in vulnerable Taiwan), rare-earths, and batteries. The review could lead to a U.S. government-led push for domestic production—or a turn toward allies that are themselves renegotiating their political and trade relationships with China, such as Australia.
5. Boris talks up China: While U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has come out strongly in favor of increased relations with China, members of his cabinet, such as Dominic Raab, are raising concerns about human rights issues. Campaign groups such as the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China have had a significant influence on the Conservative Party, despite Johnson’s opposition. Meanwhile, the U.K. House of Lords has again insisted that a proposed trade bill contain a genocide clause—aimed largely at China—before they will pass it. Other European countries are also feeling U.S. pressure to move away from China, despite the recent European Union investment deal (Jan 2021).

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• 4. GOVERNMENT SCHEMES (Prelims, GS Paper 2, Essay paper)

Delhi government notifies doorstep delivery of ration scheme 

• A new beginning: The Delhi government has notified its flagship scheme for the doorstep delivery of ration that is likely to be rolled out from March 2021. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had announced his government's plan to launch the scheme in his Republic Day address.

• MMGGRY details: The 'Mukhya Mantri Ghar Ghar Ration Yojna' (MMGGRY) under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) of the National Food Security Act, 2013, was notified by the government on February 20, the officials said. The MMGGRY involves the delivery of packed wheat flour and rice to beneficiaries at their doorsteps. According to the notified scheme, the beneficiaries will have to pay the processing (conversion) charge along with the cost of subsidised foodgrains.

1. The entire operation from the lifting of foodgrains from FCI godowns, milling, packaging and till the delivery of packaged commodities to the beneficiary will be carried out under CCTV monitoring. Commodities will be carried in GPS-fitted vehicles. There are about 17 lakh PDS beneficiaries in Delhi.
2. As per the notified scheme, Delhi State Civil Supplies Corporation (DSCSC) will empanel millers and rice processors to lift the foodgrains for cleaning, grinding and packaging. The packed foodgrains will be transported from millers to fair price shops and from there to the doorsteps of beneficiaries through direct home delivery (DHD) agencies to be engaged by Delhi Consumer's Co-operative Wholesale Store Ltd (OCCWS).
3. Distribution of packaged items (wheat flour and rice) will be done only after successful biometric authentication using e-PoS (point of sale) devices. The cost of subsidised foodgrains and a specified amount as milling or conversion charges will be collected from the beneficiaries.

• Management: An e-POD (proof of delivery) will be captured for records. Ration card holders may draw their full entitlement of foodgrains in more than one instalment, it added. The scheme will be optional and existing TPDS beneficiaries in Delhi will have to specify whether they want to enrol under it. Beneficiaries will be able to exercise the option at the beginning of every financial year. The DHD agency will notify the beneficiary in advance through SMS before delivery.
• Complaints: Under the MMGGRY, there will be a provision of a grievance management system to enable beneficiaries to lodge their complaints. A call centre for beneficiaries is also envisaged under the scheme. For transparency and to prevent diversion and pilferage, the scheme will be monitored closely by the Food and Civil Supplies Department. In his Republic Day address, Kejriwal had said the initiative for doorstep delivery of ration would be a revolutionary step in changing the entire ration system. People will not have to go to shops and stand in queues.

 

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• 5. POLITY AND CONSTITUTION (Prelims, GS Paper 2, GS Paper 3)

The right to dissent 

• Shaheen Bagh case: In 2021, in the background of ongoing farmer’s protests, a review petition on the Shaheen Bagh protest was filed in the Supreme Court. The court refused to review its earlier verdict which had declared that "there was no absolute right to protest", and it could be subjected to the orders of the authority regarding the place and time.
• Morlity versus State security: This brings into focus the battle between morality and state security, freedom, and responsibility. On one hand, it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that any protest should not turn into violent chaos. But on the other hand, public protests are the hallmark of a free, democratic society, where the voice of the people should be heard by those in power and decisions be reached after proper discussion and consultation.
• Freedoms: In order to preserve the democratic fabric of the Indian society, it is the responsibility of stakeholders in a democracy that all freedoms under Article 19 of the Constitution shouldn’t be seriously impaired.

• Significance of "Right to Dissent":

1. Fundamental Right: The right to protest peacefully is enshrined in the Indian Constitution — Article 19(1)(a) guarantees the freedom of speech and expression; Article 19(1)(b) assures citizens the right to assemble peaceably and without arms.
2. Historical context: The background of the Indian Constitution was the rigorous anti-colonial struggle, within which the seeds of a political public sphere and democratic constitution were sown. The Indian people fought hard and long to publicly express their views on colonial policies and laws and form a public opinion against them. Many were jailed for long terms, and the Constituent Assembly was alive to that pain.
3. Checking abuse of power: The right to form associations is required for political purposes — for instance, to collectively challenge government decisions and to even aim, peacefully and legally, to displace the government, to not merely check abuse of power but to wrest power. The right to peaceably assemble allows political parties and citizenship bodies such as university-based student groups to question and object to acts of the government by demonstrations, agitations and public meetings, to launch sustained protest movements.
4. People as watchdogs: Aware citizens act as watchdogs and constantly monitor governments' acts, which provides feedback to the governments about their policies and actions after which the concerned government, through consultation, meetings and discussion, recognizes and rectifies its mistakes.
5. Supreme Court’s observation: In Ramlila Maidan Incident v. Home Secretary, Union Of India & Ors. case (2012), the Supreme Court had stated, “Citizens have a fundamental right to assembly and peaceful protest which cannot be taken away by an arbitrary executive or legislative action.”

• Challenge to Right to Dissent: Any form of public action to challenge the government’s proposals or decisions is also constitutionally legitimate, as long as it is done peacefully. Article 19(2) imposes reasonable restrictions on the right to assemble peaceably and without arms. These reasonable restrictions are imposed in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality or in relation to contempt of court, defamation, or incitement to an offense. In the recent review petition, the petitioners apprehended that the observations in the Shaheen Bagh judgment against the indefinite occupation of public space may prove to be a license in the hands of the police to commit atrocities on the legitimate voice of protest. In Feb 2021, not only the protesting farmers but also their supporters, including comedians and journalists, were charged with the Sedition. Any arbitrary restraint on the exercise of such rights — for instance, imposing Section 144 — shows the inability of the government to tolerate dissent.
• Summary: India needs a fair and effective adjudicative mechanism in constitutional matters can meaningfully prevent agitation on the street. Social movements could be less radical and less oppositional when the issues could be effectively sorted out by way of fair litigation means. Courts need to ensure timely adjudication to release the steam. In the United Kingdom there exists a robust public enquiry system that processes ecological demands, integrates them into the political system, and minimizes radicalization of the movement arising out of exclusion and marginalization. On part of citizens, there is a need to imbibe a civic culture that is characterized by the acceptance of the authority of the state and a belief in participation in civic duties.

 

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• 6. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (Prelims, Various GS Papers)

Earth’s nitrogen - where from 

1. What we breathe: This air we inhale is 78% nitrogen, a colourless and odourless gas. Nitrogen is also an important ingredient in fertilisers, dyes, pharmaceuticals and explosives. But how did earth get all this nitrogen?
2. Origin of nitrogen: Studies have shown that ancient meteorites brought it to our planet. Studies have also suggested that nitrogen came to Earth via the collision that formed the moon. It was also thought that nitrogen came from the region beyond Jupiter’s orbit (known as the outer disk), as the inner part of the solar system (inner disk) was too hot for nitrogen and other volatile elements to condense.
3. New findings: Research now shows that Earth likely got its nitrogen not just from the region beyond Jupiter’s orbit, but also from the dust in the region between the Sun and Jupiter. The team found that all iron meteorites from the inner disk contained a lower concentration of the nitrogen-15 isotope, while those from the outer disk were rich in nitrogen-15.
4. Why to know: Nitrogen is an important component of all life on Earth. Along with carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, studying nitrogen and understanding its source can offer clues to how our Earth and other rocky planets were formed in the inner part of our solar system. This work also helps settle a prolonged debate over the origin of life-essential volatile elements on Earth.

 

Lab grown 'Miniature Brain' mimics real life

• We have grown a brain: A team of researchers from UCLA and Stanford University has grown a brain organoid from human stem cells for more than a year (20 months) and found that the stem-cell derived brain organoid behaves in strikingly similar manner as the real brains of newborn babies.

• Old dream: Creating miniature organs in artificial conditions, on petri dishes inside a laboratory has been a fascinating field of research for many decades now. With many ups and downs in this field of research, scientists are slowly gathering pace, especially in developing organoids – the miniature and simplified version of a real organ.

1. Human stem cells play a pivotal role in organoid research due to their intrinsic character. The stem cells can proliferate and develop into specialised cell types when kept in laboratory dishes with the right nutrition and conditions provided.
2. Organoid research has been emerging as an important component of the body of research commonly known as translational research. The translational research paradigm encompasses the application of knowledge from basic biology and clinical trials to the technology that address critical medical conditions and needs.

• Latest: The latest research concludes that in this long time duration, a brain organoid can display some genetic signatures that a real brain in newborns displays, especially in the early periods of development. The team exposed human stem cells with the right amount of nutrients in laboratory dishes. The stem cells grew and developed into a brain organoid that contains neurons and other cell types that are found in the real brain. The researchers periodically isolated some cells of the growing organoid to sequence the RNA inside them. In doing so, the researchers could find which genes are active at the time periods. With this data, they made a comparison of RNA from real human brains stored in databases.

• The right age: The team found that when the organoid reached 250-300 days (9 months old) its gene expression pattern resembled that from human brains soon after birth. They also found that other genetic attributes like the DNA methylation patterns of the organoid resembled that of a maturing human brain. Methylation of DNA signifies a chemical tagging (the methylation) of the DNA that influence the activities of the genes.

1. Along with these, the researchers also observed other signs of changes in their organoid that resembled the changes in a developing human brain. In a developing brain, around the time of birth, some of the brain cells gradually start to produce a specific protein in more quantity. This protein is called the NMDA receptor and plays a crucial role in neuron-to-neuron communication. The brain organoid also showed the NMDA production.  
2. The cautionary message is that “a brain organoid is not exactly the same as the human brain. Its electrical activity doesn’t match that of a mature brain, and the clump of cells lacks key features, including blood vessels, immune cells, and sensory inputs. Yet what’s striking is that, even in the unnatural conditions of a lab dish, the cells just know how to progress.

• Summary: The main aim of organoid research is to decipher pathways that may be involved in the development and functioning of a real human organ. Knowing this is thought to fortify researches into some critical diseases like Cancer, Alzheimer’s disease etc.

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• 7. SOCIAL ISSUES (Prelims, GS Paper 2)

Wages for housework 

• The story: A new political party of Tamil Nadu has promised salaries to housewives as a part of its electoral campaign. This is an interesting idea, because women in India often work 12 to 15 hour per day, all seven days a week, unpaid.
• ILO report: A report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2018 shows that, globally, women perform 76.2% of total hours of unpaid care work, more than three times as much as men. In Asia and the Pacific, this figure rises to 80%.
• Wages for Housework Movement: The International Wages for Housework Campaign started in Italy in 1972 as a feminist movement that highlighted the role of gendered labour in the home and its connection to the production of surplus value under capitalism. The movement further spread to Britain and America. Alongside other demands for social and political equality, women’s rights campaigners made visible and also politicised women’s everyday experience of housework and child care in the ‘private’ realm of the household.
• Indian case: In 2010, an application by the National Housewives Association, seeking recognition as a trade union was rejected by the deputy registrar of trade unions on the ground that housework is not a trade or an industry. In 2012, the then minister for Women and Child development announced that the government was considering mandating a salary for housework to wives, from husbands. The purpose was to empower women financially and help them live with dignity. The proposal never materialised and with the change in the government in 2014, the idea was put to rest.
• Issues: Housework demands effort and sacrifice, 365 days a year, 24/7. Despite this, a huge proportion of Indian women are not treated equal to men. A large number of women live with domestic violence and cruelty because they are economically dependent on others, mainly their husbands. Time-use data from 2019 gathered by the National Sample Survey Organisation revealed that only about a quarter of men and boys above six years engaged in unpaid household chores, compared to over four-fifths of women. Every day, an average Indian male spends 1.5 hours per day in unpaid domestic work, compared to about five hours by a female.

• Arguments in favour:

1. It will help do more accurate National Income accounting. Domestic labour of women is not accounted for in either the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or the employment metrics. Neglecting to include it would thus mean underestimating GDP of the economy.
2. It will make women empowered. The wage that the state ought to pay women would make them autonomous of the men on whom they were dependent. Most women continue in an abusive relationship because they don’t have a way out.
3. Redefines the women's role: The very demand for a wage was a repudiation of housework as an expression of women’s nature. It was a revolt against the assigned social role of women. Recognition of household work is one of the most central processes in empowerment. It gives them a claim to equality within the patriarchal Indian household that only recognises the work done by men.
4. Time poverty: Combining paid work commitments with a mountain of menial, domestic labour at home means poor women are more likely to suffer from ‘time poverty’. Time poverty fundamentally undermines women’s human rights since it undermines women’s agency and ability to make choices.

• Against against:

1. More responsibility: Asking men to pay for wives’ domestic work could further enhance their sense of entitlement. It may also put the additional onus on women to perform.
2. Strengthen men's position: "Buying" domestic labour from wife poses a serious risk of formalising the patriarchal Indian family where the position of men stems from their being “providers” in the relationship.
3. Burden on government: There are debates on who would pay for the housework done by women, and if it is to be done by the State then this will put additional fiscal burden on government finances.

• Summary: India needs to strengthen awareness, implementation and utilisation of other existing provisions. Starting from the right to reside in the marital home, to streedhan and haq meher, to coparcenary and inheritance rights as daughters and to basic services, free legal aid and maintenance in instances of violence and divorce. Women should be encouraged and helped to reach their full potential through quality education, access and opportunities of work, gender-sensitive and harassment-free workplaces and attitudinal and behaviour change within families to make household chores more participative.

 

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• 8. MISCELLANEOUS (Prelims, GS Paper 1, GS Paper 2)

AIIB to provide $304 million for Assam Power Transmission Project

1. Announcement: The Central government has signed a loan agreement with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) for the Assam Power Transmission Project. The loan agreement is worth $304 million.
2. Details: This loan will be used for strengthening electricity transmission system in the state of Assam. Total estimated cost of the Power Transmission project in Assam is $365 million, of which, $304 million will be provided by AIIB. Rest will be provided by the state government of Assam. This loan from AIIB has a maturity period of 24 years and a grace period of 5 years.
3. Assam Power Transmission Project: This project will build new networks in the state that will ensure the affordable and reliable power supply in state, and will also address the substantial energy deficit that the state of Assam face because of congestion in transmission networks and electricity distribution. The project comprises of the laying down of a transmission line and construction of 10 transmission substations. Some of the existing transmission lines will be converted into the optical power wire. The project also seeks to strengthen existing intra-state transmission network in the state by connecting it with new networks which will help in achieving the affordable, reliable, secure and efficient power.

WTO to consider India’s proposal on TRIPS waiver on Covid-19 Vaccines

1. India's proposal: The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is under pressure to consider the India’s proposal of Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver on Covid-19 vaccines.
2. Details: Pressure increased on WTO after several European Union lawmakers and group of least developed countries (LDC) provided their support to India’s proposal of waiving the TRIPS on vaccines. The EC and the European Council put forward a declaration after a group of 115 members of European Parliament asked them to drop their opposition to India’s proposal at WTO. A group of lawmakers from the Democratic Party is also seeking from US President Joe Biden to support the India’s proposal. Around 90 countries have extended their supported the TRIPS waiver proposal. Wealthy countries such as US, Britain and the European Union are against this proposal.
3. Why oppose: The wealthy nations think that TRIPS waiver at WTO will choke the innovation at pharmaceutical companies. Because, it will put off their incentive in order to make huge investments for research and development. In turn, this move will be counterproductive in the current pandemic situation because it requires the drug makers to keep on researching to deal with a mutating virus.
4. Why waiver: India put forward the proposal of TRIPS waiver at the WTO because a waiver will reduce the cost of vaccines substantially, and make an environment for the free flow of medicines and technology transfer with other countries.
5. WTO TRIPS: The Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement is a multilateral agreement on intellectual property rights including the patents, copyright, protection of undisclosed information or trade secrets and industrial designs. This agreement came into effect in January 1995. Other foundational agreements include the GATT and TRIMS.

Australia passes “News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code”

• Story: The parliament of Australia has passed the landmark legislation called the “News Media and Digital Platforms Mandatory Bargaining Code” on February 25, 2021. This legislation mandates the global digital platforms to pay for publishing the Australian news content on their respective platforms.
• Details: The legislation mainly targets Facebook and Google, and will ensure that news businesses “are fairly paid for their content”. It will also help in sustaining the “Public Interest Journalism” in the country.

• Background: Australia had proposed this legislation targeting Google and Facebook, where they are required to make payment negotiations with the media companies in order to use their content. However, Facebook & Google had pointed out that these media industry were already benefiting from the traffic routed to their websites through these digital platforms.

1. Facebook’s stand - It said this legislation will cause “unmanageable levels of financial risks as well as the operational risk” for them. Following this, Facebook also blocked the Australian users from reading and sharing local and international news on its platform, recently.  Facebook initiated this move against the legislation and stated that this law fundamentally misunderstands the relationship between Facebook and publishers who share news content using the platform.
2. Google’s stand - Google already started to ink agreements on the revenue-sharing with the publishers.

• Elsewhere: The Parliament of France had passed the legislation called the “GAFA Tax” (acronym for Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon) in 2019. This legislation was passed in a bid to impose a 3% levy on sales which is generated in the country by non-tax paying online giants. Similarly, the European Union passed the “Digital Services Act” and “Digital Markets Act” that seeks to limit the powers of global tech giants such as Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon in the European market. Under it, the larger firms have been designated as ‘digital gatekeepers’ and they are subject to strict regulations in case they violate the market norms.

Second Edition of Maritime India Summit

1. What it is: The ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways informed that the second edition of the Maritime India Summit (MIS) in the virtual mode will commence on March 2, 2021. The participants will be joining from Russia, Afghanistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, and Armenia.
2. Details: The summit will also hold discussions on ‘Development of Port Infrastructure and Boosting Business through Trade, Promotion and Regional connectivity’. It will provide a unique platform which will mark the participation of stakeholders in the maritime sectors like sector experts, policy planners, senior government officials, shipping line owners, domestic and international investors and representatives of major ports from several parts of the world along with the governments of maritime states in India.
3. Objective: The Maritime India Summit is being organised with the objective of pushing India to the forefront of the Global Maritime Sector.

9.1 Today's best editorials to read

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• SECTION 3 - MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

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